Everyone has been great helping me with ball joint issues but here's a new challenge. My CJ5 is right hand drive and steers with a track rod end that attaches to the main track rod. This is not a home made effort.....however I want to do a tie for flip and thanks to Keith for great advice. When I flip the track rod....the kink and hole for the tie bar to go into is not the best......question is can I put a straight tie rod from steering knuckle to steering knuckle and a new tie bar from steering knuckle to steering box......as per later CJs. I only ask because the steering knuckle with 2 holes for track rod ends and the steering box are on the same side of the jeep.....will this cause issues when the suspension flexed?.....hope this makes sense.

If I understand you correctly, you are wanting to tie your steering box (on the right side) to the knuckle on the same (right) side, correct?

If I'm thinking correctly, that will make the tie rod from the steering box to the knuckle very short. Because it will be short, it will have to flex a lot on both ends when the axle flexes up and down. Unless I'm way off the reservation, I think this would reak havok on your steering when you are flexing.

Think about it this way: your tie rod is a set length (for obvious reasons). When the right side of the axle droops, the tie rod must droop also. The steering box is mounted to the frame, so that end cannot move. The other end is tied to the knuckle, which can. So, when the axle droops, the tie rod will pull on the knuckle, making the front wheels turn left. Its not as much of a problem with a left-hand jeep, because that tie rod runs the width of the vehicle, and the "droop steer" is not a problem.

Now, if you are hooking the steering box (on the right side) to the knuckle on the left side, ignore everything I've said, it should work just like the factory setups you mentioned.

Yes, as JeepHammer has pointed out, that can be done. Stacking the Drag Link on top since you cannot flip that type of Tie Rod, that you have, around as it would face rearward. The hard part would be finding a Rod End Bearing with a male-threaded shank that had a threaded stud long enough to accept a another Rod End Bearing without the stud. Must fit tight also and here in the United States, Rod End Bearings or Heim Joints as they are sometimes refereed to, are usually not allowed to be used as steering components unless you have special titling for the vehicle, say a Hot Rod for instance.